A deck is a structure typically built outdoors. A deck can support a load consisting of people, deck furniture, or other items. The supportable load can vary from deck to deck based on such items as the size and type of material used to build the deck. A deck installed in a body of water can be referred to as a pier.
Some decks are free-standing, whereas some other decks are constructed such that the deck is attached to another structure, such as a house. Constructing a deck attached to a house can include attaching a ledger board to a concrete foundation or a rim board of the house. The ledger board can, for example, include a two by eight pressure-treated Spruce, Pine or Fir wooden board. The ledger board typically has a rectangular cross-section such that a top side of the ledger board is flat when attached to the structure. Anchor bolts can be used to attach the ledger board to the rim board or the concrete foundation.
Joist hangers are often attached to the ledger board in order to support first ends of joists. Multiple fasteners, such as screws, bolts, or nails can be used to attach the brackets to the ledger board. Those fasteners can pierce and/or extend through the rim board or the concrete foundation.
Furthermore, in many instances, metal flashing is installed between the ledger board and the rim board. The anchor bolts used to attach the ledger board and the fasteners used to attach the joist hangers to the ledger board typically pierce the metal flashing. As the number of fasteners that pierce the metal flashing, the rim board or the concrete foundation increases, the likelihood for having water leak into the structure increases.